ARIEL Orange Pekoe Dimbula

This is the black tea for an unhurried morning – brisk, bright, and full of character. Orange Pekoe Dimbula is a classic Ceylon tea, grown high in the hills of Sri Lanka from long, twisted whole leaves. It pours a deep coppery amber and brings the kind of honest, full-bodied flavour that wakes you up gently. Take it black, or with a splash of milk.

Tasting Notes

The cup is brisk and smooth, with a rounded body and a clean, lively finish. Expect notes of malt and dried fruit, a hint of bright citrus, and the mellow, slightly tannic backbone of a good Ceylon. It holds up beautifully to milk and takes honey well, though it's balanced enough to enjoy on its own.

Origin

Dimbula sits in the high-altitude tea country of central Sri Lanka, where cool, misty air and dry-season picking produce bright, refined black teas. This one is grown and handcrafted in that tradition, then sorted as whole-leaf Orange Pekoe.

A note on the name: Orange Pekoe is a leaf grade, not a flavour – there's no orange in the cup. It describes long, whole black-tea leaves; the term is often traced to the Dutch House of Orange, while "pekoe" refers to the downy tips of the young leaf.

Brewing

Use about 2.5 g (a heaping teaspoon) per cup and steep at 95 °C for 3 minutes – a touch longer for a stronger brew. It makes an excellent iced tea, too: brew it double-strength and pour over ice.

Additional Information

• Ingredients: Whole leaf black tea
• Available formats: 100 g loose leaf, 1 kg loose leaf
• Certifications: Kosher
• Foundation: Humaniterra Foundation